Culture of Haiti from a Humanities Perspective - Essay Example

HAITI This research presentation looks at the art and culture of Haiti from a humanities perspective. Haitian people are coming from a rich cultureand history in Haiti, and many Haitian artists today are internationally famous, including but not limited to modern artists like Basquiat and Obin. As with any nation, Haiti has a rich culture that is determined in large part by its history. The Spanish occupied the island for a time, and destroyed much of the native culture, which was comprised of Amerindian tribes such as the Arawak. This was the first introduction of Africans to the area in terms of arts and culture, although African culture was suppressed by the colonialist French until Haiti became independent in 1804 when there was a massive slave uprising, making Haiti the first Caribbean nation to successfully declare itself independent from colonial powers. Today, Haitian culture is a mix of African and European influence. Since a culture or society can roughly be called a larger representation of the family unit as it is thought of within the society, looking at family structures and social factors in Haiti can also show one of the most important areas of influence on artistic and cultural factors. In Africa, family ties were binding and not exclusive, and the idea of the extended family was important because all of the members worked together to help each other as much as possible. This research presents a basic overview of Haitian art and culture to elucidate the reader. As mentioned, art and culture in any nation can be traced back to history, but family structures and social structures are a keen part of this history. Like in Africa, in Haiti "In rural areas, the extended family has traditionally been the social unit" (Haiti, 2006). The importance of extended family is necessary to keep society together through a code of familiarity and support, and as the economy in rural Haiti is similar, this pattern has stayed the same after the Diaspora that brought Africans to Haiti. During this time, extended families stay together in close relationships of agreement, sustaining each other and the economy. There is not the spirit of one generation disagreeing with another generation with which we are familiar in the U.S., leading to art and culture that is often clashing: instead, there is cross-generational respect. In Haiti, families are built on almost unquestioning piety and are not represented by "the nuclear" but by extension. This is the extended family concept, which can also be extended into the arts of the nation. There is a lot of art to look at in Haiti as well, and there is a thriving art scene currently that is based on Haiti's social, familial, political, and cultural histories. There are many representative styles that are both unique and derivative, from more historical styles to the abovementioned modernist abstract collages of Basquiat. The concerns of the society are shown through artists' work, and there are also cultural influences and mixes that are part of Haitian history and society which are then infused into the art produced by society. Therefore when visiting Haiti, it is also important to see the arts and crafts of the people, so that one can make the correlations between the culture itself, and the art that is produced from the true resource of a nation: its human beings. "While Haitian art may lack polish, it makes up for it with a deep and engaging representation of humanity. The Haitian artist finds holiness in the ordinary subjects of everyday life. Simple, soulful images are found in Haitian art. It is this soulfulness that attracts so many to admire and collect this remarkable art." (Flavors, 2007). The cultural and social traditions and mixes of influence can also be seen in this art, which varies according to the individual. Since Haiti was one of the first Caribbean nations to declare independence, it has been relatively free, in comparison to many of its neighbors, of the colonial cultural control (also known in some circles as cultural hegemony) that can dictate culture forcefully in some other places, and has thus been able to make its own culture without another country telling it what to think and do. On the whole, in Haiti this culture has emerged in the form of distinctive religious, family, and gender structures, which is then reflected on a consumer marketplace in terms of factors associated with Haiti culturally and religiously. And although the culture is a unique mix that blends many other societies to form its own, many of the roots of this cultural representation can be traced to African culture, especially West African culture. Because most of the inhabitants of Haiti are of African descent, African culture plays a key role in the culture of the island and manifests itself in many ways in a reflection of present and emerged patterns in Haitian cultural and artistic history. In family structures, gender, religion, and other areas of culture, it is clear that African culture has had a great deal of influence over Haitian culture before and since the existence of Haiti as an independent country. This shows through in the art as well, in terms of the ways in which art influence culture of a country and nationalism, and vice versa. Haiti is well known worldwide for producing artists of note. In the New York area recently one of these artists was the abovementioned Jean Michel Basquiat, a quintessential modern artist "whose work was part Andy Warhol, part Brooklyn ghetto. Another famous Haitian artist, Celestin Faustin, trained by master artist Wilmino Domond, while short-lived, became a master at the Voodoo style (late 1960s-early 1980s). The artistic production of Haitians has never been more alive with many branches existing now, with many Haitians living in the Diaspora" (Haiti, 1997). Obin, also mentioned above, is another more traditional sort of Haitian artist, representing the diversity within this nationalist imagination. "Othon Obin, the son of Seneque Obin and nephew of Philome Obin, was born April 2, 1920 in Cap-Haitien.' After Freres de L'Instruction Chretienne Primary School and Lycee National Philippe Guerrier High School, he worked from 1937 to 1963 as a mechanic" (Shishi, 58). Art is something that can inform society and can also act as a release or venting of any problems which might exist in society. In other words, art is not just about looking at pretty pictures, but it is also about making a statement about society. A lot of examples of Haitian art seem to be somewhat defensive in this manner in terms of what is allowed to be said through art by the Haitian government, in terms of looking at issues of how art is not just history and craft, but also a vital force that can shape and change society. In this regard, the so-called edgier of the modern Haitian artists may actually be emigrants such as Basquiat, who, while Haitian by birth and upbringing, have found it necessary to leave the country in order to pursue their artistic visions. So, for an art scene to really be challenging to this society, it is not necessarily the best idea for it to be derivative and conservative based on the traditions of society. Rather, art also has a duty to challenge these traditions, from some perspectives. Haitian art today, despite some limitations and concerns such as these, is alive and well, representing a continuation of tradition in many ways and a challenge to tradition in other ways. The art and culture of the nation extend from its past into the present and future. REFERENCE Shishi, M (1982). Lers Naifs Haitiennes. Melbourne: National Library. Haiti-Culture and art (1997). Encyclopedia Britannica. Flavors of Haiti (2007). http://flavorsofhaiti.com/index2.htm. Read More